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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Any chance you got in a new batch of silver nitrate
about 6 months ago?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This has happened to us before. In both
instances, it ended up being a poor grade of silver nitrate. In one case,
the was the fault of the company (poor QC). We returned it to the company and
they gave us another batch/lot number, which worked fine. Another time, our
hospital purchasing department tried to save money by switching to a cheaper
grade of silver nitrate, which also precipitated all the time, too. In the long
run, it didn't save money and in fact cost us more (see next
paragraph).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In the meantime, make up a double batch (fresh).
Place in two different coplin jars. Heat the slide in one coplin jar with
silver. When that silver solutions starts turning blackish, pull the slide out
and place it in the other coplin jar of silver solution that has been sitting on
the counter. Now heat the second container of silver solution with the slide in
it. By the time that silver starts precipitating, your slide/fungus should be
about the right shade of gray/black. (Now you see why the poor grade of silver
ended up costing us more money in the long run. We had to make two coplin jars
of silver solution, instead of one.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hope this helps.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Schools of Histotechnology</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>William Beaumont Hospital</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Royal Oak, MI 48073</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=jeannie_heck@yahoo.com href="mailto:jeannie_heck@yahoo.com">Jeannie
Heck</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
href="mailto:histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu">Histonet</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, August 18, 2003 3:47
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Histonet] GMS Precipitant</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>The procedure that we use for our Gomori Methenamine Silver (GMS)
stain comes directly from Frieda Carson's <U>Histotechnology: A Self
Instructional Text</U>. The microwave procedure has worked well for us for
many years but about 6 months ago we started getting a dark black precipitant
on our slides and the inside of our Coplin jars. We have tried numerous
different potential solutions, such as chemically cleaning our Coplin jars,
using various types of deionized water (all Type 1), preparing fresh solutions
and adjusting the temperature by decreasing and increasing the heating time.
When we first encountered this problem it did not occur with the conventional
method, but lately it has been occuring with both methods. Any help will be
appreciated. Thank you.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Jeannie Heck HT (ASCP)</DIV>
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